 is grappling with internal discontent following the submission of over 100 petitions by aggrieved aspirants contesting the outcomes of the party’s local government primaries held last Saturday.){kind=link}
The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is grappling with internal discontent following the submission of over 100 petitions by aggrieved aspirants contesting the outcomes of the party’s local government primaries held last Saturday.
The primaries, conducted across the state’s 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas, were meant to produce candidates for the upcoming July 12 local council elections.
However, the process has been met with widespread resistance, as party members in several areas, including Agege, Ikeja, and Somolu, took to the streets to protest what they described as the imposition of candidates by some party leaders.
The APC had earlier constituted an appeal committee, headed by the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), to look into complaints arising from the primaries.
According to the party’s spokesperson, Oluseye Oladejo, the panel has received 45 petitions from chairmanship aspirants and 59 from those seeking councillorship seats.
He noted that the committee’s work would be concluded before the week runs out. Petitions were expected to be submitted by midday on Tuesday.
Amid the growing dissatisfaction, a civil society group, United Action for Democracy (UAD), has called for an immediate probe into the controversies surrounding the primaries. During a press briefing held in Abule Egba on Wednesday, UAD’s General Secretary, Kunle Ajayi, accused the APC of undermining democratic values and eroding local government autonomy.
Ajayi cited ongoing protests, especially in Agege, as evidence of public outrage against alleged manipulation, warning that failure to address the grievances could endanger democratic participation and influence the credibility of the 2027 general elections. He urged civil society, both within and outside Nigeria, to stand up against what he described as anti-democratic practices.
Despite the outcry, the Lagos APC leadership has rejected claims of candidate imposition, maintaining that the primaries were conducted in line with established democratic procedures.
Still, tensions persist as stakeholders await the decisions of the appeal panel, which could determine the party’s unity ahead of the forthcoming polls.